Gap-ron-eul-bak

甲

첫째 갑

論

논할 론

乙

둘째 을

駁

논박할 박

Character by character

Meaning

A argues, B refutes — a back-and-forth dispute.

Origin

A Korean coinage using gap and eul, the conventional stand-ins for the first and second party.

How it is used

Used when a meeting splits into evenly matched positions.

Hanja甲論乙駁

Simplified甲论乙驳

Korean reading갑론을박

Pinyinjiǎ lùn yǐ bó

Frequently asked questions

Q. What does Gap-ron-eul-bak mean?

甲論乙駁 · A argues, B refutes — a back-and-forth dispute.

Q. Where does Gap-ron-eul-bak come from?

A Korean coinage using gap and eul, the conventional stand-ins for the first and second party.

Q. How is Gap-ron-eul-bak used?

Used when a meeting splits into evenly matched positions.

Idioms in the same group

言中有骨 Eon-jung-yu-golThere is bone inside the words — a hard meaning hidden in an ordinary remark.寸鐵殺人 Chon-cheol-sa-rinKill with an inch of steel — pierce the vital point with a few words.以心傳心 I-sim-jeon-simMind transmits to mind — understanding without a word spoken.甘言利說 Gam-eon-i-seolSweet words and seemingly advantageous talk — the language of enticement.有口無言 Yu-gu-mu-eonYou have a mouth but nothing to say.一言之下 Il-eon-ji-haSettled in a single word — a flat, immediate response.

The idioms used in Korea mix phrases from the Chinese classics with ones coined in Korea. Where an expression is not used in China, the entry says so.